Tension device for shears or scissors.



W. M. BOWES. TENSION DEVICE FOR SHBARS QR SGISSORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-1, 1909.

Patented June 1, 1909.

By Md ATTORNEYS WITNESSES 'rm: Animus Paz sns 60., WASHINGTON, n. c

WILLIAM M. BOWES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TENSION DEVICE FOR SI-IEARS OR SCISSORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 1, 1909.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Serial No. 480,737.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. Bow'ns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Tension Device for Shears 01 Scissors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to shears or scissors, and particularly to a tension device which is employed at the pivot point for regulating the tension or degree of tightness of the blades.

The object of the invention is to provide a tension device of simple construction having a movable adjusting member, and constructed in such a way that in whichever direction the adjustable member is moved it will tighten the blades.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of shears having a tension device constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the shears in a longitudinal direction at the pivot and upon an enlarged scale, this View showing the adjusting nut in one extreme position in which the blades will be placed in tension; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the adjusting nut in its opposite extreme position, in which position the blades are also placed in tension; and Fig. 4 is a plan of the adjusting plate.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1, 2-, represent the blades which are attached together by a pivot pin or bolt 3. Beyond this pivot bolt, they are provided with handles 4 by means of which they may be operated in the usual manner. The pivot bolt 3 is threaded at its inner extremity, and is secured tight in the blade 1, but passes freely through an opening 5 in the blade 2. It is provided with an enlarged head 6 connected by a reduced neck 7with the threaded portion. On the neck 7 there is attached a tension plate 8, which plate is provided with an opening 9 which receives the neck, as shown. The form of this plate is clearly shown in Fig. 4. The portion of the tension plate which is remote from the pivot bolt is offset outwardly and away from the side face of the shears. Its outer extremity is bifurcated so as to form forks 10 which are separated by a deep, wide throat 11. Just under this throat an adjusting stud 12 is fixed in the blade 2. This stud is threaded throughout its entire length and receives an adjusting nut 13. This nut has a reduced neck 14. and at the lower portion of this neck, an enlargement or collar 15 is formed. This neck is adapted to be received in the throat 11 so that the forks 10 engage between the body of the nut and the collar 15.

With shears or scissors constructed as described, if the nut 13 is screwed out to the outer position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, the tension plate 8 will be forced out against the head 6 so that the extremity of the tension plate at the point 16 will act as a fulcrum. If the nut 13 is screwed into the other extreme position, as indicated in Fig. 3, the inner end of the tension plate will be forced up against the head of the pivot and the fulcrum 17 upon which the movement of the tension plate takes place, will be located near the point indicated in Fig. 3. From this arrangement it should be understood that in the intermediate positions of the nut 13 the tension between the blades of the shears is relaxed, but if the nut is screwed either out or in on the stud sufliciently, the blades will be put under tension. In one position the extremity of the tension plate operates as a fulcrum as described, and in the other case the fulcrum is disposed at an intermediate point in the length of the tension plate. In other words, the tension plate has a rocking movement at the pivot presenting a fulcrum on each side of the pin, and in both of its extreme positions .the tension is applied to the blades. From this arrangement it will be evident that whether the nut is screwed in or out it will operate to place the blades under tension if sufiiciently rotated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In shears or scissors, in combination, a pair of blades, a pivot pin uniting said blades, a tension plate secured to said pivot pin and adapted to rock on the face of one of said blades to press said blades together, and a member engaging said tension plate at a point remote from said pivot pin affording means for placing said blades under tension by an extreme inward movement and affording means for placing said blades under tension by an extreme outward movement, said tension plate being arranged so as to present a fulcrum on either side of said pivot pin.

2. In shears or scissors, in combination, a pair of blades, a pivot pin connecting said blades, a tension plate presenting a fulcrum on either side of said pin receiving said pivot pin and having its body offset outwardly from said blades, a stud mounted on one of said blades, and a nut mounted on said stud and engaging said tension plate at a point remote from said pivot pin, said nut aifording means for moving said tension plate inwardly toward the blades and affording means for moving said tension plate outwardly away from said blades.

3. In shears or scissors, in combination, a

air of blades, a pivot pin connecting said blades and having a head removed from said blades, a tension plate engaging said pivot pin under said head, having a body ofl'set outwardly from said blades, a threaded stud mounted in one of said blades, and a nut moving on said stud and having a reduced neck engaging the outer portion of said tension plate and affording means for moving the same toward said blades and away from said blades, said tension plate being adapted to rock on one of said blades at said pivot pin and affording means for forcing said blades together in both of the extreme positions of said nut.

4. In shears or scissors, in combination, a pair of blades, a pivot pin uniting said blades, a tension plate secured to said pivot pin and adapted to rock on the face of one of said blades to press said blades together, and a member engaging said tension plate at a point remote from said pivot pin and affording means for placing said blades under tension by an extreme inward movement and affording means for placing said blades under tension by an extreme outward movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. BOWES.

IVitnesses JOSEPHINE L. WARREN, J. F. SHANNOY. 

